HRANA News Agency – On August 22, Iraj Mohammadi’s father was insulted, harassed and severely beaten by deputy of prosecutor of East Azerbaijan province, Seyed Mohsen Ghoraishi and transferred to a hospital when he was trying to get some information about the fate of his son 10 days after his arrest. On August 24, Mr. Mozaffari Chief Justice of East Azerbaijan denied HRANA’s report. Mr. Mohammadi in an interview with HRANA responded to this denial.
According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), on August 24, Mr. Hekmatali Mozaffari, Chief Justice of East Azerbaijan considered the news of HRANA as “false”.
Mr. Mozaffari claimed in his speech: “According to the information I received from the deputy military prosecutor of the province, father of security prisoners communicated by phone with Deputy Prosecutor last week, so the news of his presence in the court and being beaten by deputy prosecutor is a pure lie.”
Despite his claims, Iraj Mohammadi’s father in an interview with HRANA’s reporter emphasized on his earlier statement and said: “When after 10 days that my son had not called from Tabriz prison, we went to the jail and understood that he had been transferred to solitary confinement and deprived of phone calls and visits, I met Mr. Qureshi to get a permission for a visit but they did not respond. I said that I would sit there until I got some information about my son. By the order of Mr. Ghoraishi soldiers harassed and beat me and Mr. Ghoraishi himself also kicked me. Then I had to go to the hospital. And now my leg is swollen.”
Mr. Mohammadi also announced the denial as “covering up the injustice,” and stressed that he would follow the complaint against Seyed Mohsen Qureyshi, deputy military prosecutor of Tabriz due to oppression and the embarrassment.
Mr. Hekmatali Mozaffari also told in another part of his wrong statement, “Considering that only a year of prisoner’s remains, he was transferred to general ward from military ward and his father went to jail to meet his son due to lack of information on this topic and finally, Deputy Attorney guided him during a phone call.”
The claim arises while Mr. Ghoraishi after visiting Tabriz prison had ordered to cancel phone calls, visits and furloughs of Iraj Mohammadi and Mohammad Amin Agoushi, two security prisoners of this prison on July 13. These two prisoners sew their lips in protest. By the order of this judicial authority they were transferred to solitary confinements of special ward of prison for 10 days.
Finally after 10 days of harassment in solitary confinement, by the promise of internal manager of this prison, Mr. Shokripoor, they ended their hunger strike and were transferred from solitary confinement to the ward.
Iraj Mohammadi was transferred to ward number 9 and Mohammad Amin Agoushi to ward number three (burglar’s ward). Mohmmad Amin Agushi refused to go to that ward and is being temporarily kept in the quarantine ward.
This is while these prisoners do not have their personal accessories in their new wards and that have caused them problems.
It is worth mentioning, Iraj Mohammadi was arrested along with Mohammad Amin Agooshi and Ahmad Pooladkhani, on the charge of espionage, in May 2009. They were finally sentenced to ten years imprisonment in exile in April 2012.
HRANA had earlier reported that Mr. Mohammadi was examined in Zahedan and his need to receive medical treatment was approved by the Medical Commission. But the process is not respected in Tabriz prison and prison authorities do not give him an appropriate answer. His situation is inappropriate right now.
Need to be mentioned Mohammad Amin Agoushi was arrested on September 23, 2007 on charges of espionage and cooperation with Kurdistan Regional Government. After 7 months and 20 days of interrogations in central prison of Uremia and in solitary confinement, in Ramazan base of intelligence service, he was released after 8 months on the bail of 1500 million IRR by branch number 2 of military court of Uremia.
He was plead guilty in all charges by judge Hafez Ghafarri and judge Samimi in branch number 2 of military court of Uremia and transferred to central prison of Uremia. After 4 months and after 5 sessions he was sentenced to death by fire squad, by judge Hafiz Ghafari.
After appealing, his case was sent to the supreme court and processed in branch number 31 by judge Mohammad Salimi, who confirmed the death sentence based on article 109 of constitution.
In 2010 his retrial request was approved and the case was opened again and processed in branch number 31, but this time his sentence was reduced to 10 years prison in exile.
He was transferred to Zahedan prison in July 2012.
Iraj Mohammadi and Mohammad Amin Agoushi were transferred from Zahedan prison to Tabriz prison.